A Multiplying Harvest from GNU’s Television Programme in India
Dec 3, 2015 1429
Learning how to share the Gospel that has brought peace and joy into their lives.
GNU has been broadcasting the gospel for most of this year in the region around Gudiwada, Andhra Pradesh, India, scattering seeds for the Kingdom of God. Now those seeds are bringing a rich harvest.
Pastor Joseph, who presents the Gospel on TV on behalf of GNU, reports:
The people who have been thirsty and hungry for Jesus and his gospel come to the hall in Nagavarapadu on Wednesdays to learn more about the Gospel. These are people who are so excited about the Gospel that they have heard on the GNU television programme, that they have asked to be trained in how to share it with their friends and neighbours.
Pr Joseph also comments that,
The hall where I hold these Wednesday evangelism training meetings is very near the Hindu temple.
Some of those attending are already Christians but now they understand and are excited about the Gospel; others are still Hindus, but they sense a lack in their lives and are attracted by the Word of God. We’d like you to meet some of the people who have become regular attendees at the Wednesday meetings.
Vijayamma is a new Christian evangelist, who arrives at every meeting with more people who have never heard about Jesus and the story of the Gospel. She is still learning herself, but this doesn’t stop her sharing her new faith with others. She says, “It is so wonderful to know about Jesus and to learn more about him every week. I look forward to coming to the meetings and I tell everyone who will listen about what Pastor Joseph is teaching us.”
Pr Joseph teaches the people how to share the Gospel.
Suryanarayana Rao comes from a very committed Hindu family. His ancestors, he says, even helped to build the Hindu temple in their village. His wife used to perform the Hindu rituals every day. “But this gave us no peace,” he told Pastor Joseph. “Our daughter was sick, and we had no one to turn to. Then one day, we saw the GNU T.V. program. I had to call Pastor Joseph on the telephone straight away, because I wanted to know more about Jesus.”
Pastor Joseph invited the whole family to the Gospel meetings, and it was not long before they all accepted Jesus into their lives, discarding the old rituals for the joy of the gospel. “The Wednesday Gospel meeting in the hall is helping me and my family to know more about Jesus, and our faith is increasing week by week as we come closer to Jesus. We are so grateful that Pastor Joseph is able to conduct this Gospel meeting here every week.”
Ratnamma was born and brought up in the Roman Catholic religion. She began watching the GNU TV program every week until she was led by God to contact Pastor Joseph to find out more. “I have no peace in my life,” she told Pastor Joseph. “I have no children, and I am lonely.” Now she is no longer lonely, because she is so busy telling others about the Gospel. Every week she arrives at the meeting with other people to whom she has spoken about the Gospel.
“Now I have peace of mind,” she told Pastor Joseph. “After learning more about Jesus Christ, my mind became empty of all my problems, and I can now focus on Jesus. Before coming to the meetings I knew nothing about Jesus, and it is wonderful to learn this Good News. Now my husband and I are happy in this wonderful Gospel. We thank Jesus that Pastor Joseph has been able to preach the Gospel on the TV and in our hall.”
For all her life, Suguna knew nothing but the idols she worshiped every day. Then one day, she happened to see the GNU T.V. program. She tuned in the next week, and the next, and she has become a regular viewer. “As I came to know more about Jesus, I felt that this idol worship is useless and it has no benefit to my family,” she says. Like so many people who have watched the program, she called Pastor Joseph to find out more, and he invited her to the weekly meeting. There, she discovered the true peace and happiness of the Gospel. “Now I am saved, and my family also,” she says. “As I attend the Gospel meetings every week, I learn more about the Bible and my faith increases. I am so grateful to God for sending Pastor Joseph to teach us the Gospel.”
Subhama is a well-educated, professional young woman, who has been searching for more meaning in her life. She watches the GNU TV program every week, and has started coming to the Gospel meetings with her husband. They have taken a stand for Jesus, as all their family members are practising Hindus. “We have found something different in the Gospel,” she says, “and we have found salvation in Jesus. We are so grateful for the Gospel. I pray for my friends and invite them to come to the Gospel meetings also. Getting to know Jesus and his salvation: this is a wonderful thing that has happened to us, and we praise God for it.”
– Joseph Usala and Eliezer Gonzalez
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